Nanoparticles Used to Deliver Myelin Repair Molecule

In recent years, a large focus of MS research around the world has been promoting remyelination – that is, the process of repairing damaged nerves. In a recent study published in Biomaterials Science, a team from The University of Edinburgh, University of Cambridge and the Yale School of Medicine has identified a molecule that enhances this process.

Using a mouse model of myelin damage, the researchers used nanoparticles to deliver the molecule, known as leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Treatment with this molecule helped switch on the cells responsible for myelin repair, known as oligodendrocytes. In the mice, this resulted in an increased number of nerves coated with myelin, as well as an observed increased thickness in the myelin present. These findings may be very beneficial in the future for repairing damaged nerves in people living with multiple sclerosis.